MichaelWisniewski Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 Hi! I made a little mistake on a cedar swinger rocker that I'm currently building. There's a corner of the leg that is cut out on top, and there's a big gap there now. I made some shims to fill most of the dead space, but I'd like to make it look nicer. I've read about using shellac with the fine sawdust (flour) from sanding. Since I am new to woodworking, I'm trying to figure out how to do this? Do you just buy the "Bullseye" shellac and mix in the dust until it forms into a peanut butter consistency? Do you buy the raw shellac flakes? How do you melt them down? Heat or do you use a chemical? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b33tl3 Posted May 27, 2011 Report Share Posted May 27, 2011 I have never used sawdust with shellac but I have used sawdust with glue to fill some mistakes. It works well for small gaps. Mix the two together into a paste and fill in the gap. Use as little glue as possible because glue will not take and stain or finish like the wood will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areynoldsre Posted May 28, 2011 Report Share Posted May 28, 2011 I second the using glue and sawdust. It's a bit easier I think. Shellac is dissolved in denatured alcohol. Bullseye is just flakes premixed in alcohol. You can control the mixture yourself by buying flakes and dissolving it in some alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelWisniewski Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I second the using glue and sawdust. It's a bit easier I think. Shellac is dissolved in denatured alcohol. Bullseye is just flakes premixed in alcohol. You can control the mixture yourself by buying flakes and dissolving it in some alcohol. Thanks for the tips. I ended up going with the sawdust and bullseye shellac. So far, it looks good and sanded well. I'm going to be putting a coat of stain on it this weekend and we'll see what happens with it. I was afraid to use the glue because of a possibility it may not soak up the stain and leave a blotch. It's hard to believe I've been working on this project for over a month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sac Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I would like to see a picture of this fix when it is done. I am curious to hear how that works out. I could always use another trick up my sleeve.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapid Roger Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I've done the "shellac/sawdust" trick a few times with good results. The only thing to remember is if you re-coat the item with shellac or alcohol, be very careful around the patch area. Shellac will re-dissolve the "filler" material and it can come back out. Of course you can see the filled spot but, to me it is not nearly as noticeable as glue/sawdust is. Just my dos centavos. Rog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfminmi Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 I second the use of glue, but I have moved away from wood glue to the instant glue for wood. If I am finishing the piece without a stain, I simply mix the saw from the wood of the project into the glue. After it dries, I sand it smooth and it blends in very nicely with the final clear finish. If I am staining the project, I mix the saw dust and stain with the glue. It works every time with great success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJC5151 Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 The stain wont soak thru the shelac either isnt tha why they market it a a sanding sealer over stain befor you topcoat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trz Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 what kind of instant glue for wood are we talking about? Never heard of it , but would like to try it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texfire Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 I'd imagine one of the CA glues with sawdust would work well. Don't glue your finger to the project though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Reuten Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 One of the shellac/sawdust techniques is used in stringed instrument making in which some pumice is used as an abrasive and shellack as the lubricant to fill wood pores. A slurry of pumice powder, sawdust and shellac is created through rubbing the surface of the wood with a small firm pad. The excess wiped off and left to dry. For filling a larger void, a shellac stick might be a better choice. If you wanted to try the mixing of shellac and sawdust, I would use very thick shellac. Just leave some in an open container until it is like syrup. This is also excellent for installing bungs especially if for some reason you may want to get them out in the future. I use this technique allot on boats. Lastly, you can mix shellac and rosin to create a very good putty that will hold onto shallow voids. Heat is required to activate this concoction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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